Twelve Days North of Hopeless
by Incarnate Firefly
Summary: When Thor takes Loki back to Asgard to answer for his actions in New York, a strange turn of events brings them to an island called Berk. With Loki on the loose and the Tesseract missing, Thor recruits Hiccup and his dragon-riding friends to help him find them and figure out a way to get back home. Collaboration with Aryea, author of When a Boy Becomes a Man.
1. Prologue

**[Author's Note]  
><strong>This idea popped into my head a few weeks ago and it's just held on stubbornly since then. So, I've finally decided to write a crossover even though it's not something I would usually do. But I love this idea too much to let it go. Not really the way I imagined I'd break into the business of HTTYD fanfic writing, but I'm willing to see how this turns out.

I approached Aryea to help me with plot ideas and writing in this project. For those of you who avidly read HTTYD fanfics, you may know her as the author of _When a Boy Becomes a Man_ and its sequels, _When a Man Becom__es a Chief_ and _When a Chief Becomes a Father_. I've been a fan since the first book, so I am absolutely thrilled to have her on board.

For those of you who are familiar with my previous works, you may know me to write very dark, serious stories that usually don't have a happy ending. Never fear, this book will be a whirlwind of light-hearted laughs and stupidity and just a sprinkle of heart to it. Enjoy!

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><p><em>Written and edited by Incarnate Firefly<em>

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><p>A year ago, Thor would have laughed at the idea of safety in numbers. But recently his confidence in his own abilities had taken a severe beating. Which, all things considered, was really saying something. The other Avengers had come to witness him escorting Loki off of their planet, and although they were unarmed (most of them, at least; he wouldn't have been surprised if Romanoff had a knife in her boot), he was glad of their presence.<p>

It was only two nights ago that he had discovered Loki was alive. Heimdall saw him as soon as he had resurfaced in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s underground laboratory, and informed Odin with all haste. When the All-Father heard the news, Thor couldn't help but feel unnerved by the simultaneous fury and resolve he saw in his countenance. And when Odin summoned Sif and ordered her to bring Völva, the shamanic witch, to him, Thor knew how far he was willing to go to bring Loki back to Asgard. He volunteered to be the one to do it, even though he did not want to at all.

Odin did not hesitate. By his command, Völva gathered her resources as quickly as she could, brought Thor away from the eyes of the Asgardians, and cast a dark spell that ripped a hole through the heart of Yggdrasil to open a passageway to Earth. The procedure was nightmarish and Thor hoped he would never need to resort to such horrifying measures again for any reason. It was enough to fuel his determination not to fail in finding Loki and the Tesseract.

Now, he was holding one objective encased in a carefully sealed container, while the other was chained and muzzled, eyeing him reproachfully in silence. Despite his success, Thor wondered how he was possibly going to ever be at peace with what Loki had become. He did not look forward to returning to Asgard and bringing him before Odin. He did not know if he could stand by and try to look indifferent as his brother received his long-awaited judgement. He did not have the strength to comfort Frigga when she would weep for the remorse that Loki refused to show. He did not want to hear the empty words of reassurance from his friends that it wasn't his fault, that he had done the right thing.

It was easy to understand what Loki was after. Power. Supremacy. A chance to be revered, to be recognized for once as the greatest entity in the eyes of many. Thor wished he could believe that Loki's ambitions could be curbed by whatever punishment Odin had in mind for him, that he could show repentance if Frigga could persuade him to. But he knew fully well that no one could dull Loki's destructive flame through their own intervention.

_He needs to understand that power is not a right for us to take as we see fit,_ he thought wistfully. _It is what we choose to make of ourselves, and our ability to understand what is just that determines our measure._

Wordlessly, Thor held up the cylinder containing the Tesseract, sternly watching his prisoner who grasped the opposite end obediently. Thor gave his companions a final nod of thanks, reminding himself that without them, he might not have had the will to stop Loki. He turned the handle, igniting the Tesseract in a surge of blue light that wrapped over him and Loki and shot up into the sky. He felt the connection take as Heimdall linked the energy tunnel connecting Midgard to Asgard.

Was he paranoid, or did he see a glimmer of anticipation in Loki's eyes? For the first time, it occurred to Thor that perhaps his brother had other plans for their return home. Loki was always one to leave himself a back door in places no one would think of looking. But there was no more time to think as their surroundings began to dematerialize around them. Within seconds, they were gone.

The Avengers remained where they were standing for a moment, as if waiting for a sign that Thor and Loki had made it to Asgard. When the sky returned to its usual blue and and the Tesseract's residue energy dissipated into the air, all that followed was silence. Barton was the first to break it.

"So that's Loki," he remarked. "I wouldn't want to be him right now. Norse god, and all."

Stark scoffed, arms still crossed. "Some god he turned out to be. I've had more frightening confrontations with Pepper on her good days."

"I don't know," said Steve with a smirk. "From what I saw, Thor gave you a pretty hefty run for your money in that forest."

Stark raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, remind me who came to your rescue in Stuttgart when Loki was throwing your 90-year old keister around like a football?"

Romanoff rolled her eyes. "Girls, girls, you're both pretty," she said sarcastically. "Those Norse gods are obviously more than a match for you both, let's leave it at that. If it was the other way around, the Vikings would have worshipped you instead."

Steve looked back up into the sky. "Well, I don't think anyone's going to be worshipping anyone where those two are going."

···

Even though Thor had never travelled through a wormhole using the Tesseract before, it soon became obvious that something was wrong.

The first sign was when the Tesseract's blue glow rapidly intensified into a painfully bright white. Without warning, the metal handle felt scorchingly hot in his palm, but he fought the urge to let go. He could barely make out Loki's outline as they sped through the tunnel; his reaction was impossible to make out. But to his alarm, the energy rays shooting up the wormhole were winking out one by one. Had they done something wrong? Or was the Tesseract acting of its own will? He closed his eyes, willing for their trip to be over already.

By some means beyond the laws of physics, the cylinder suddenly slipped through Thor's fingers. But before he could react, he felt something wrench him from behind, and all he could see was Loki's form tumbling away from him. A split second later, he felt himself falling—no, being pulled down—as well.

He still had Mjolnir held firmly against his chest, but the invisible hands that held him were too strong to break free from. He briefly wondered if he and Loki were being dragged down into Hel itself. _Am I to answer for Loki's actions? Or perhaps my own past failings?_ It hadn't been so long ago that Mjolnir had deemed him worthy to wield it. He had lived in arrogance before that, at times more so than Loki.

In the strangest of ways, the thought was almost comforting. If they were to face judgement now, then they would do it together as brothers. As equals. Loki would finally get his wish.

The darkness around him was giving way to a blur of grey, which then blended into an indiscernible mix of green and blue. Thor gasped as he felt cold air rushing past his face. The pulling sensation was gone, and now he was moving by sheer freefall. Instinctively, he fanned out his arms and legs to slow himself down. He saw that he was coming up fast on a grassy field below—

Not for the first time that day, Thor hurtled into the field at a velocity that would have killed a human being. He felt Mjolnir fly out of his hand as he was flipped several times between ground and air, punching several furrows into the patchy dirt that wasn't as soft as it looked, before sliding to a stop next to some small boulders. A moment later, there was a _splash_ not far off.

He propped himself up with a grunt, extending one hand as he did so. He heard the sound of Mjolnir surfacing through water, and a moment later it slapped into his palm, cold and dripping with water. He stood and straightened to take in his surroundings.

He was in some sort of cove, from the looks of it. The ground was mostly dirt embedded with rocks of various sizes, with clusters of thinly grown grass here and there. Ancient trees reared up well above the surface, some firmly planted on the surrounding overhangs with their gnarled roots stretching along the rock face to seek the soil below. The only visible water source was a large pond encompassing the heart of the cove.

All in all, it was a very peaceful setting. But it didn't change the fact that Thor had no idea where he was. It wasn't Asgard, that was for certain. And it most definitely wasn't Hel.


	2. Introductions

_Written by Aryea and Incarnate Firefly_

_Edited by Incarnate Firefly_

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><p>Thor walked along the edge of the pond, rolling his shoulder experimentally to make sure the arm he landed on was still functioning. When the wormhole had changed course, he had been thrown out of the tunnel faster than he could fly. His entire body felt as if it had been trampled by a herd of rampaging Bilgestipe.<p>

He also noticed how cold it was. There was no snow visible or an icy mist to the air like he'd seen on realms like Jotunheim, but there was a definite, constant chill that would have been imperceptible to anyone observing the scenery from a picture. As Thor looked around in vain for a sign of familiarity, he realized that there was no trace of Loki or the Tesseract.

"Loki!" he called, his voice held both fury and worry for his troublesome brother. "Loki, where are you?"

There was no response. He could make out a faint roar of tidal waves against rock, mingled with the odd chirping of various creatures inhabiting the surrounding forest, but everything was otherwise silent. What could have gone wrong? Had the demon power thrown them into another world, one that was not in the nine realms? How was that possible? Was his brother even alive?

He scowled. Of course Loki was alive, even when he was thought dead he was somehow still alive.

No, there had to be a reason this had happened. Even if they were separated and Thor himself was in this unknown realm while Loki could be in an entirely different one, he had to be sure. He had been entrusted to stop his brother and bring him back to Asgard. He would not forgo that duty.

_At least this time I am not without my hammer or my resilience,_ he thought with some amusement. From the looks of things, he could very well be stranded far from civilization, and he had no intention of dying from exhaustion or starvation.

Something caught Thor's eye. He crouched down and saw that there were a number of bootprints scattered about the cove. They were small, even by human standards. And for some reason, only the tracks made by the right boot were visible; alongside each print, there was a tiny, barely noticeable rectangular imprint on its left. Curious.

Upon closer examination, he noticed the presence of larger prints too, belonging to an unknown creature. There were far fewer of them, but here and there there were sizable patches of ground that had been methodically burned to soot. Thor racked his brains, mentally thinking of all the fire-related species he had encountered in the past. None of them matched the pawprints he was looking at. So was he actually outside the nine realms? Perhaps the Tesseract's place of origin?

A rustling in the trees behind him caught his attention, momentarily distracting him from the mysterious tracks. He stood up and turned about just in time for a large solid form to run into him, sending him sprawling backwards.

However, the almighty Thor was not so easily felled, if you didn't count the times Jane hit him with her car or when he was tased by that crazy intern of hers, anyway. He caught the tail end of the beast that tackled him, managing to stop their advance by swinging Mjolnir's head into the ground. He regained his balance and raised the weapon to the second creature who, in its attempt to stop, kicked up a spray of dirt all over Thor as its claws dug into the ground.

"Hold!" he commanded, and then he got a good look at them. His eyes widened at the pitch-black creature who stared back at him. "A...a dragon?" Dragons were native to Midgard. That meant he _was_ on Earth. _That is impossible...dragons have not roamed Midgard since the end of our wars against the Frost Giants. What in the name of Valhalla is going on?_

The dragon flattened his ears and growled low in his throat, then blinked and sniffed at Mjolnir. There was a strange, child-like curiosity in his round, green eyes.

Thor turned to look at the larger, blue-gold dragon that looked more bird than reptile. "Two dragons." He slowly released the dragon's tail and lowered Mjolnir. "I mean you no harm, my friends. You startled me."

The bird-like dragon wriggled her tail and turned around, sporting a live squawking chicken between her beak.

"Ho, so it is a meal you are after then? I suspect that is some poor farmer's stock. Give it here, now."

The dragon tilted her head and looked at him suspiciously.

Thor snapped his fingers and pointed downward. "Here now! Do as I say at once!"

The blue dragon, startled by the command in the stranger's voice, dropped the bird. Thor picked up the flapping creature by the neck.

"'Tis no way to eat a chicken, feathers and all," he admonished. "It should be killed swiftly and cleanly for the sake of the bird, and then plucked at least."

The black dragon moved closer to Thor, sniffed and decided that he was okay, so he plopped himself down next to him and licked his lips.

Thor smiled at the dragon's docile mannerisms. "Indeed, you are a marvellous creature." He reached for the dragon, but it growled again and he pulled his hand back. "Ah, perhaps when we are better acquainted then?"

"It's not my fault, Hiccup!" came a shrill voice belonging to a young female. Thor turned towards where the dragons had appeared, which was also where the voice was coming from.

"You were the one that threatened to cut back on her chicken!" retorted an equally youthful male voice.

"She's been getting fat!"

"That's why you shouldn't be feeding her chicken! They're supposed to eat fish!"

"You're just saying that because chicken makes her fly faster, and sooner or later she'll beat your dragon!"

"HA! Not a chance, Milady!"

"And besides, Toothless ran off too!"

"Only because Dad needed a dragon for his duties, and he hasn't found a replacement for Thornado yet. If it were me, I'd run too, and..."

Two small, thin teenagers in archaic human clothing entered the cove and paused at the sight before them. Stormfly was practically dancing around a huge man with long blonde hair, wearing a brilliant red cloak and ornate armor. The man was calmly transferring the squawking chicken from one hand to the other to avoid the dragon nipping at it. Toothless, who had been lying beside the stranger, hopped up and wandered cheerfully over to greet them.

Thor raised one hand in greeting, which was somewhat awkward since it was the hand holding the chicken flapping about trying to free itself. "Good day to you. I presume these dragons belong to you?"

"Who in Thor's name are you?" Astrid demanded, her blonde hair bouncing as she twisted her chin defiantly. One hand reached for the axe at her side.

_So they've heard of me,_ Thor thought. He released the chicken, and Stormfly immediately moved to chase after it. "Yes, I am he."

"You're who?" asked Hiccup.

"By whom the fair maiden referred to. Thor."

Astrid stiffened. "How dare you!" She stepped forward with a scowl, axe in hand, but was held back by Hiccup. Thor found it interesting that she actually stopped at the boy's touch.

"Astrid, wait. Let's not kill a stranger before we know who he is."

"Did you hear what he said? He's mocking us! I'm not gonna take that kind of blasphemy!"

Thor placed Mjolnir at his side as a show of peace and held up his hands amicably. "It is not my intent to show disrespect, fair maiden. However, I cannot be anything but who I am. I proclaim honestly that I am Thor of Asgard, son of Odin."

"You're full of—"

"Astrid," Hiccup tugged insistently on her sleeve. His eyes widened as he saw the weapon by the man's hip.

"—yak dung! You can't honestly expect me to believe you're—"

"Astrid..."

"—the son of Odin and—"

"Astrid!" Hiccup caught her chin and tilted her face towards Mjolnir. "Look. Look at the hammer!"

Astrid felt her heart turn over in her chest. "It...can't be. No way."

It hit Hiccup just then. "Uh...ah...sir, we...maybe you...um..." he stammered, reverting back to awkward mode in a heartbeat.

Thor watched the black dragon curl around the young boy, as if sensing he was anxious. His tail rested near the human's left foot, which Thor noticed was a prosthetic made of metal and wood. "Is this dragon yours then?"

"Toothless? Oh, he...well, he's not really mine, I mean I don't own him, he's just my friend."

"Your friend?"

"Yeah. It...it's kinda a long story. Ah...if you really are...um..._Thor_, why would you be here on Berk?"

"Berk? Is that what this place is called?" Thor looked around him again. "We are upon the realm of Midgard, I presume?"

"Midgard?" Hiccup repeated.

"Earth," Thor clarified.

"Oh...yeah..." He exchanged a glance with Astrid, who looked just as perplexed as he was. "Earth, that's right. Not sure where else we'd be, really."

_Well, this makes everything easier._ Thor smiled, glad that he was still on a realm which he was somewhat familiar with. "Very well then. If it's not too much trouble, I shall require directions to New York. Or a means to contact Tony Stark, if you are familiar with him."

Hiccup blinked. "Sorry, name doesn't ring a bell. And what's...'New York'?"

"Err." Thor faltered. "I cannot say, actually. Where is the nearest city?"

"We don't have any around here. Berk is an island, you see."

"Have you no access to aircraft? Telephones? _Internet?_"

Hiccup and Astrid continued to stare at him as if he were speaking a foreign language. Thor never thought he would meet _humans_ more confused by their own technological terms than he was. _This is most perplexing. And impossible...unless..._

"What nationality are you part of?" he asked, wondering if his suspicions were correct.

Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Nationality? We're Vikings. Does that count?"

Vikings. The Norse seafarers from human civilizations of centuries past. That explained the dragons, the primitive clothing, everything. _How in Ragnarök's wrath and fury did this happen?_

There was no time to dwell on his predicament. He was here, that would not change by him standing around doing nothing about it. Thor's demeanour became serious, bringing his thoughts back to a more immediate matter at hand. "Have either of you seen another like me, but taller, thinner, with black hair?"

Hiccup shook his head. "No. No, I'm pretty sure we'd remember that."

Thor nodded grimly and stepped forward, watching, impressed, as both Toothless and Astrid immediately put themselves in front of the boy. He was obviously an individual of great importance, at least to them. "Your names were Astrid and...Hiccup, was it?"

Hiccup nodded, grateful that Thor didn't feel inclined to laugh at his name like everyone else had. "You said you're looking for someone? My father is the Chief of Berk, maybe you should talk to him and he can help you."

"Hiccup!" Astrid snapped and yanked him away. She hissed in his ear, "This guy could be a lunatic and you want to bring him back to our village?"

"He could be a lunatic, yes, but if he really is the God of Thunder, do we want to offend him?"

Astrid glowered. "We don't know that for sure," she whispered, unaware that Thor could hear every word they were saying, and was quite amused about it too. "Are we just going to bend over and start worshipping the first guy that comes along in some fancy armour, holding a hammer and claiming to be Thor?"

"Well, no. But he is on Berk and he's shown us no ill will, so we should bring him to my dad either way. We can figure out later whether or not he's Thor."

"Fine," she muttered. "But it's on your head if this goes bad."

"What else is new?" Hiccup turned back to Thor as Astrid turned her attention to Stormfly, who was still chasing the chicken around in circles around the cove. "Uh...so...sir." He couldn't address him as Thor, he just couldn't. Even if the man possessed an exact likeness of Mjolnir, and looked very imposing in general. "We'll take you back to the village."

"I am most grateful for your hospitality, Hiccup," Thor replied, trying not to grin at the Vikings' discomfort.

Hiccup climbed onto Toothless in one well-practiced motion. He offered his hand to Thor, who eyed the dragon with some uncertainty. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Astrid mounting Stormfly as well.

"You mean to ride this creature?"

"It's safe. Toothless is very good with passengers."

"I shall take your word for it." Thor climbed on and did not even flinch as they rose into the air. _Interesting. My father never told me of any Vikings who were experienced in dragon-riding. It is almost unheard of, especially for a species like the humans._

With that in mind, he wasn't sure if he even hoped Loki was here or in another time period. Thor wanted more than anything to find him so they could return to Asgard with all haste. But if his brother caught wind of the fact that there were dragons here for him to subjugate and potentially use to conquer mankind, Thor knew that he would never want to leave.


	3. Demonstrations

_Written by Incarnate Firefly and Aryea_

_Edited by Incarnate Firefly_

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><p>"You're stupid!"<p>

"No, you're stupid!"

The twins clanged heads for the third time that day, following a petty squabble that was undoubtedly even more pointless than the previous two. Tuffnut put his finger in his ear, a little dazed from the reverberations.

"Hey! That was a good one. My ears are buzzing...wait, I think it's starting to make sense..."

"Idiot!" Ruffnut punched her brother straight to the floor, and was about to have at it with him when she noticed a crowd gathering around outside their house. She caught a glimpse of Toothless' tail, which meant that Hiccup had managed to stop his dragon's panicked escape hours earlier. Stormfly also swooped in with Astrid, who landed outside the crowd holding a very frightened-looking chicken.

Ruffnut frowned and peered over the crowd. "What's going on? What weird thing has Hiccup brought back this time?" She caught a glimpse of a tall, blonde man, easily standing head and shoulders above their friends, dismounting the Night Fury.

Tuffnut started to pull himself up off the ground. "I wasn't ready for that—oof!" Ruffnut's boot stomped over his stomach and then his head as she trampled over him to rush forward. "Hey!"

Ruffnut bowled over the crowd of people like a ball scattering a formation of pins and slid straight into the handsome, muscular stranger. Spinning, she threw her arms out and hissed at the others gathered there. "He's mine! Back off!"

"Gods," Hiccup sighed, stepping forward to discourage his concupiscent friend. "Ruff, really not the time to—hey!"

Ruffnut put her hand to his face and shoved him aside as she turned to look up at the magnificent man before her.

"Hi, I'm Ruffnut and I'm here to see to all your needs," Her eyes gleamed as she traced a finger over his armoured bicep. "And I do mean all of them..."

Thor smiled at her. "Thank you, fair maiden, I shall keep your offer in mind. Now, I believe we are here to see..."

"My father," Hiccup said pointedly as Astrid picked him up off the ground.

"Hiccup!" Ruffnut snapped. "He can't meet the Chief looking like this! He's all..." Her gaze narrowed as she undressed Thor with her eyes. "Dirty." She caught his large hand. "Come with me, I'll get you sparkling clean and..."

"Ruffnut!" Astrid firmly broke their contact and stood in front of Thor. "We don't have time for this!"

Ruffnut put her nose almost directly against the other girl's. "You chose your lot," she scowled, pointing to Hiccup. Both he and Astrid flushed, neither sure of how to respond. "This one's mine!"

"Wait a minute," Hiccup protested. "Ruffnut, you don't understand. You can't just—"

"Shut up, Hiccup," growled Astrid without looking at him. "He sees the Chief first, you can drool over him later."

"Ladies, please," Thor lifted his hands peaceably. He took Ruffnut's hand in his and lifted it to his lips. "Your attentions are much appreciated, Miss Ruffnut. However, I concur with Astrid that I must meet with your Chieftain first. Business before pleasure, I'm sure you understand."

Ruffnut fairly melted into a puddle, even as Astrid crossed her arms over her chest and huffed.

"Pleasure?" the twin squeaked. "I...I...I...s-sure...okay."

Thor smiled again as Toothless helped make a path through the crowd for them to walk through, and he followed Hiccup and Astrid up the hill. Most of the villagers were thinking about following suit but quickly reconsidered when Astrid fixed the lot of them with her "you don't want to be within ten feet of me right now" glare.

"Um...A-Astrid. What exactly did Ruff mean by choosing your—?" Hiccup began.

"Just shut up, Hiccup!"

Hiccup flushed and fell silent, missing the sympathetic look that Thor shot him.

Tuffnut finally managed to catch up to his sister. "What was that all about?" He noticed her dazed expression and the strange way she was holding her hand, and reached for it. "Hey, what's up with your hand?"

"Don't touch it!" she screamed and punched him with her other hand, and gently cradled to her chest the one her new dream man had kissed. "I'm never washing this hand again."

Her brother snorted. "How is that different from any other day...urk!" For the second time in as many minutes, his sister's kick landed him face first in the dirt.

···

Hiccup was very thankful that Stoick was alone when they reached the Great Hall. But it didn't lessen his nervousness any as he approached his father and tried to figure out how he was going to explain the situation convincingly.

As it happened, he simply ended up doing it his usual way, which meant saying it outright and waiting for the explosion.

"He's _WHAT?!_"

"Not what, dad. Who. And I know what you're thinking. Even if he isn't Thor, we should still help..."

Hiccup wouldn't have described Stoick's face as angry at that particular moment, but displeased wouldn't have justified it either. It was an odd combination of incredulous, sceptical, and even a touch aghast. Not the sort of expression usually associated with Berk's sturdy, fearless Chieftain. "I never said we should not help him, Hiccup. But for him to claim to be the God of Thunder is disrespectful not only to us, but to Thor himself! And you've been struck by lightning before, do you think it's wise to test Thor's patience like this—"

"That didn't have anything to do with Thor, remember?" Hiccup reminded him. "Besides, if it did, he would have known about it, because he's standing right in front of you."

Stoick glared at Thor, who could tell that the exchange wasn't really going well and wisely decided to remain silent. Beside him, Astrid was observing him closely, as if she could discern whether or not he really was the God of Thunder through his physical features.

"This isn't funny, Hiccup," Stoick reprimanded. "Now I don't know who this man is or why he's on Berk, but if this is one of your elaborate plans, it's not going to fool me."

"Dad, you make it sound like I trick you into doing things all the time!" Hiccup objected. "And I don't know how he got here, but he's definitely not around here. I mean, have you ever heard of windcraft and hinternets and tell-phones—"

Stoick frowned. "What?"

"He needs help finding someone, someone that could be a threat to Berk! Isn't that something we should be thinking about right now?"

Stoick shot the newcomer another look. "He could be up to anything. What if _he_ was the threat, and this was all a trick?"

Thor was tired of this conversation that was going nowhere. He cleared his throat, and both father and son fell silent to look at him. "You wish for me to prove that I am Thor? Follow me!" He turned on his heel and ran out of the Great Hall.

"Wait, where are you going?" called Hiccup. "What are you going to do? Oh, great..." When he got no response, he hurried after him.

Stoick stared after them for a moment before he gave Astrid a very confounded look. She shrugged, and they followed as well, neither of them with any idea what was going on.

Hiccup soon caught sight of Thor, striding briskly through Berk and calling out to anyone he passed by to stop what they were doing and come with him. Curious villagers were peering out of their windows at the commotion and joined in.

Gobber, who was working at the forge as usual, peered up as he saw the stranger approaching the square. He put down his tools and hobbled over to Hiccup, who looked rather flustered. "Who's your new friend, Hiccup?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Hiccup muttered, well aware of what was about to happen next.

Thor finally stopped at the square and turned back to the crowd. "Stand back!" he commanded them. "I will need a wide berth for this ridiculous display."

More than a few of the villagers were confused by what was going on. As Stoick and Astrid caught up, the Chief cleared his throat. "You declare, stranger, to be the God of Thunder and Lightning. Then you must prove to us you are who you say." The crowd whispered amongst themselves, clearly stricken by Thor's bold claim. Stoick stepped up to him so that they were almost nose to nose. The Asgardian was impressed by the show of strength and will in the human's eyes. "I will warn that you if you cannot, you will be put to death for blasphemy."

"Dad!" Hiccup gasped, shocked.

"Does it have to be death?" Ruffnut interrupted. "Can't you just, like...make him my slave or something?"

Several of the village boys shivered.

"That's a fate worse than death!" Tuffnut protested, dodging the punch his sister aimed at him.

Stoick ignored them and held Thor's gaze. "What is it to be, then?"

Thor nodded, resigned. "Very well. I usually find such displays of power vulgar when unwarranted, but it is only fair that you ask for proof." He paused and glanced at Hiccup. "And once you are properly satisfied that I am of whom I speak, I would ask that that your son become my squire for the duration of my time here and answer only to my commands."

Hiccup paled and then flushed as a murmur rose once more around them. Even if this was the almighty Thor, why would he chose Hiccup for such a revered position?

"Don't get so excited," Astrid muttered in his ear. "He isn't Thor."

"Behold!" Thor called in a booming voice as he raised his hammer. "This is Mjolnir, the fabled hammer of Thor." He flipped it in the air a few times, swung it around, then set it on a nearby tree stump. "It is a weapon that not even the strongest of men are able to lift, unless the hammer deems them worthy of it." He stepped back and waved his hand forward. "Come and test your strength, my friends."

At first, no one stepped forward, eyeing the hammer as if it was cursed. A few of the villagers parted ways to allow Gothi to the forefront, and her expression became one of astonishment when she saw Thor.

Finally a small boy walked out of the crowd; the hammer was almost the size of him, but he gave it a few good tries. Mjolnir did not budge.

Snotlout sauntered forward boldly, eyeing the elegant yet seemingly liftable hammer with no small amount of confidence. "Watch this," he scoffed, gripping the handle with one hand. "Huh, heavier than I thought." He gripped it with both hands and pulled, then tried to brace his feet on either side. When that didn't work he tried pushing it forward, using his head, back and body. Finally, he gave one really hard yank and ended up toppling back into the crowd in an undignified heap.

Several other Vikings tried, including Mulch, Gobber, and even Stoick himself. Everyone watched in anticipation as their Chief approached the weapon. Hiccup could see his father's veins bulging from his arms and face as he pulled on it with all his might, and yet the hammer would not budge at all. "I can't lift it," he gasped, hunched over with his hands on his knees and sweat dripping down his face. Everyone began murmuring again in shock; Stoick was the strongest in the village, how could he not lift the hammer?

Thor glanced at Hiccup who was looking uneasy at the display. "Will you not try, young Hiccup?"

There was a smattering of chuckles.

"He can barely lift a regular hammer!" Snotlout taunted.

Thor's eyes narrowed on him. "Did you hurt yourself on your attempt?" he countered. "It is unworthy of one who has failed to disparage one who has not tried."

Snotlout grumbled and fell silent.

"Look, there's obviously a trick to it!" Astrid insisted. "Or maybe you're just really strong."

"Stronger than dad?" Hiccup asked, raising an eyebrow.

Stoick couldn't help but grin when he saw Astrid flush. "I...I just mean..." She crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "There are people who are abnormally strong. It doesn't prove you're Thor!"

Thor placed one hand over his chin and regarded her quietly for a moment. Then he nodded, having come up with a decision. "Very well. If the maiden wishes for more proof, she shall have it." He spread his hands out. "If everyone could move back, please?" No one moved, having taken Astrid's point into consideration and becoming less impressed with the stranger by the second. He shrugged. "So be it." He raised Mjolnir over his head. "I call upon the power of thunder and lightning, who are obedient to none other but Thor himself!"

There wasn't a cloud in the sky, but a split second later, a blinding flash caused many Vikings to shriek and dive for cover as lightning pierced the sky and struck the hammer in a dazzling display. Thor held the lightning for several seconds, then allowed it to dissipate. When he looked around him, he noticed that several of the villagers had passed out from shock. Hiccup had thrown himself on Astrid, then was covered by Stoick, followed by Toothless who used his body and wings to shield all three of them.

Thor chuckled. "My apologies. But I did warn you."

Toothless growled at him and leapt up, allowing the others to rise as well.

"H-How did you do that?" Astrid stammered as Hiccup offered her a hand up. They were both visibly shaken.

"Are you still not satisfied, Miss Astrid?" he asked. He started spinning his hammer as the villagers got back onto their feet, wondering what was going to happen now. "Very well, perhaps this will change your mind?" He caught her in one arm, and raised Mjolnir over his head again, and suddenly they skyrocketed into the air.

"Astrid!" Hiccup cried. He immediately started to climb onto Toothless to give chase, only to be stopped by Stoick, who was rooted to the spot in astonishment.

"Wait, son."

Astrid's scream carried over the air, causing everyone to look up at the man and young girl flying over them. "OH MY GODS! NOT AGAIN! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY I DOUBTED YOU, OKAY?"

"Fear not, young mortal, you are in no danger," Thor assured her gently as they soared around Berk in circles. "I would not harm thee and risk the wrath of your beloved."

"M-m...my b...beee...what?"

"Young Hiccup. Is he not your betrothed?"

Despite the fact that she was flying through the air a hundred feet above the ground with nothing holding her up except a man with a hammer, Astrid flushed from the roots of her hair to her toenails. "No! Hiccup's not—we're...it isn't—it's not like that!"

"Ah. So your reservations are not cast only for me, then. A shame."

Thor brought them back to the square and landed smoothly, keeping a hold on Astrid in case her legs felt like giving way. Then he noticed that everyone had dropped to one knee with their heads bowed before him, including Stoick and Hiccup.

He sighed. At one time, he might have expected such displays, but now they only made him uncomfortable. "My good people, please rise. Do not bow to me."

"Great and mighty Thor, I ask on behalf of Berk for your forgiveness," Stoick muttered, his eyes cast down. "Punish us as you will for our doubt."

Thor put his hand on Stoick's shoulder. "I cannot, will not, punish such devotion. I ask instead that you be rewarded by treating me as an equal. Meet my gaze, noble Chieftain. We shall speak as men, as warriors. As equals. This is my wish."

Stoick slowly, humbly raised his head, then rose and stood proudly when Thor clasped his forearm. "Whatever you ask of us, we will do."

Thor nodded. "For this I am grateful, and we have much to discuss." Then he remembered the Viking beside him that was still gripping onto his arm like death.

Astrid, who had been silent the whole time trying to regain her composure, had finally managed to calm herself. Thor grinned at her and let her go. "Are you alright, Miss Astrid?"

"Sure, once my feet remember what it's like to be standing on solid ground again," she muttered. "Why is it that every time I say I don't believe something, people feel the need to kidnap me and fly me all over Berk to prove themselves?"

Thor raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, what was that?"

"Nothing." She turned and examined him more closely. "I believe you now. But I think my mind is still trying to catch up to the idea that Thor is walking around Berk. Sorry if I'm not doing that whole bowing and worshipping thing. It hasn't hit me yet."

He shook his head. "There will not be any need for that, Miss Astrid. And besides," he added, turning his attention back to Stoick, "I believe I have more pressing matters to attend to."

This time, the Chief did not hesitate. "It's almost time for supper, Your Greatness. I would be honoured if you would join us. We could discuss what you need over a meal."

"Please, just call me Thor," the God of Thunder insisted. "And it would be my pleasure."

As Stoick led his revered guest back to the Great Hall with the entirety of Berk in tow, Thor followed closely behind the Chief with Hiccup (Astrid was giving him a wide berth at the moment). He ruffled the boy's hair. "And how will you see me now, my young squire?"

"As I always did." Hiccup met Thor's gaze. "As a friend."

Thor laughed. Here was the stuff of legends, in this small, thin frame, was a leader of men and perhaps even of gods. Such bold insight, such warm acceptance. It was rare to find someone as open-hearted as the boy standing before him, even in the most godly of realms.

As they neared the Great Hall, he remembered something. "I never told you that the person I'm looking for is a threat to your people."

Hiccup shrugged. "You didn't need to. I could tell by the way you sounded when you mentioned him."

"You're quite a perceptive individual, Hiccup," Thor said, impressed. "I am glad you are helping me with my predicament."

"I'm glad I can be of help," Hiccup replied. "Just warn me the next time you're going to take Astrid for a joyride, okay? I've already done that once to her and I don't think she would appreciate it becoming a recurring thing."

Thor was quite amused by this. "Ah, so it was you she was referring to. You must tell me the story sometime. When your affianced isn't around to hear it, of course."

"She's not my affianced!" Hiccup protested, his face turning redder than a Monstrous Nightmare on fire.

Thor laughed. Some things about humans never changed, regardless of time period, place, or culture.

* * *

><p><strong>[Author's Note]<strong>  
>Loki returns in the next chapter! Stay tuned!<p> 


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